Pictured: Today’s two contestants, a Tuxedo Mocha and a Cadbury Egg Latte
If you aren’t already familiar with these two local coffee shops, Jaho’s and Zumi’s, they’re known for a wide variety of fun flavored drinks, specifically lattes, mochas, and the like. Jaho’s is a chain that not only considers themselves a coffee shop, but also a wine bar. They sell everything from your standard drip coffee to boozy boba tea and homemade soft serve. They are located right off the harbor in Salem and are usually always buzzing when you walk in. Jaho has an eclectic vibe; you’re greeted by a neon pink JAHO sign and a collection of 80s rock band vinyls hanging on the wall. They also have a decent amount of seating inside and outside, which makes it a great place for studying if you like the busier atmosphere. They also stay open till 11pm most days, which is pretty great.
An exciting feature of Jaho is its festive chalkboard signs that explain the current holiday specials. On Valentine’s Day, you can find a list of drinks labeled as “Love Potion” or “Sugar Daddy”. At this current moment, you can find happy spring drinks like, “Flower Power” and “French Toast”. The drinks live up to their names, too, with wild concoctions of lavender and vanilla or white chocolate and almond.
My friend and I visited Jaho before Easter weekend, so we were able to try their Easter specials! When we walked into the store, we immediately knew which drink we had to try... The Cadbury Egg Crème Latte.
Of course, Jaho promotes wild drinks like this often. Apparently, it’s a mixture of “crème, chocolate, and caramel,” and boy it tasted just like drinking melted Cadbury eggs. Which, depending on you are, might be a horrible thing.
If you haven’t watched our TikTok yet (hehe) we taste tested the drink together and described it as “really sweet...like a frappacino that has melted.” Personally, I wanted there to be more of the espresso taste, and less of the sugary milk. The bottom of the cup also had a lot of chocolate syrup so stirring it well was a must. That stuff is gross when it gets lumped together like that. We got the latte iced and with oat milk and it was roughly $6 for a large. They also only sell large iced drinks now, for reasons that defy my understanding. Overall, it was a fun drink but our 1-10 rating was a 5; the overall consistency was strange, it was too sweet, and damn if 6$ couldn’t get you a better drink somewhere else.
After sipping the sugar of Jaho, we headed towards Ipswich to visit Zumi’s. Zumi’s is located right on Ipswich’s main street and along the river. They are known for their certified organic and Non-GMO espresso and brewed coffee. They have a mini ice cream bar and an extensive list of mochas and flavored lattes like “Nutella White Mocha” and “Caramel Cloud Latte.” The ambience is very laid back and open concept. Sometimes they have live music outside. They do not have indoor seating, but they have a spacious deck out back that has plenty of tables in view of the Ipswich river. Zumi’s is definitely a great place to hang out by yourself outside or to catch up with a friend.
My friend suggested we try the Tuxedo Mocha which is supposed to be half white mocha and half regular mocha. We got it with oat milk, iced, and a size large again. It was close to $6 as well. We took the drink outside to try and were slightly disappointed after our first sip. Usually, Zumi’s drinks hit the perfect level of sweetness, but today the Tuxedo Mocha was a little too bland for our tastebuds. It really just tasted like an iced americano with a splash of milk and a pump of simple syrup. Both of us agreed we needed to combine Jaho’s overly sweet latte with Zumi’s not sweet enough mocha. We decided to pour some of each into both cups and mix till we were satisfied. It wasn’t life changing, but it was decent, and we were about to be very caffeinated. Funny enough, we gave Zumi’s a 5 rating as well. But I would normally give them a 7 or 8 because I love the distinct espresso taste their drinks provide.
Overall, both Jaho and Zumi’s equally bring a lot to the table and do most things well, even if today’s drinks were disappointing. I would say they are both the best of local places for those looking to cover all their bases: ambience, service, quality, and variety.
Personally, I’d have to give the heads up to Zumi’s because I love strong coffee and appreciate a good roasted bean than sugary drinks. Plus, I’d much rather pay the hefty $6 towards a balanced drink I really enjoy. For the sake of this taste test comparison, my friend and I agreed the two drinks just needed to be put together and would equal the 10 we were looking for. But of course, please go try these places on your own and experience for yourself. I think there are plenty of options for every friend group. Choose your caffeine weapon of choice! (:
To see more photos and see us taste test the drinks live – check out our TikTok @gctartan